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Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Vatican City, 19 March 2013(VIS).- The new pontiff's papal coat of arms and motto are the same
that he used as bishop. The shield has a bright blue background, at
the centre top of which is a yellow radiant sun with the IHS
christogram on it representing Jesus (it is also the Jesuit logo).
The IHS monogram, as well as a cross that pierces the H, are in red
with three black nails directly under them. Under that, to the left,
is a star representing Mary, Mother of Christ and the Church. To the
right of the star is a nard flower representing Joseph, Patron of the
Universal Church. With these symbols the Pope demonstrates his love
for the Holy Family.

What
distinguishes his coat of arms as pontiff is that, instead of the
wide-brimmed, red cardinal's hat atop the shield, it is now bears the
same symbols of papal dignity as that of Benedict XVI: the papal
mitre and crossed silver and gold keys joined by a red cord.

His
motto—“miserando atque eligendo” (because he saw him through
the eyes of mercy and chose him)—is taken from the Venerable Bede's
homily on the Gospel account of the call of Matthew. It holds special
meaning for the Pope because—when he was only 17-years-old, after
going to confession on the Feast of St. Matthew in 1953—he
perceived God's mercy in his life and felt the call to the
priesthood, following the example of St. Ignatius of Loyola.

Vatican
City, 19 March 2013
(VIS) – To protect with tenderness. That is the call to each of us.
It is the new Pope's message. Perhaps it will be the directive of his
government. Clear, simple, deep, compelling. Spoken in Italian and
lasting no more than twenty minutes. The crowd gathered in St.
Peter's Square remained attentive throughout the celebration, which
lasted just under the two hours that had been planned.

“This
is a punctual Pope. Even a bit ahead of schedule. At least that's how
it was today,” said a German pilgrim, advanced in age, who had been
waiting for hours in front of a giant screen set up in Via della
Conciliazione, the street that runs in front of the Vatican. He had
been watching as, little by little, thousands more gathered in the
square. He was right. The Pope's Jeep appeared in St. Peter's Square
around 8:50am. Standing up in the back, Pope Francis in his white
cassock, his mozzetta, his black shoes, and his pectoral cross (the
one he has had since being appointed bishop) smiled as he greeted and
blessed those he passed. People began to run to him with their flags,
their children, their friends, their sick... And then Francis picked
up a baby in his arms and, to everyone's astonishment, got down from
the car. What was going on? He had seen a handicapped man and wanted
to embrace and bless him.

This
is the new Pope: the Argentine, the first Pope from the Americas, the
first Francis, leader of the Catholic Church who was presented to the
world today and who, in the few days since his election, has excited
so many. People already know him as the “close” Pope, the
“simple” Pope, the Pope who “is like a father”, who greets
the crowds with a “good afternoon” and says goodbye with an
“enjoy your lunch”. He is the Pope who, first thing this morning,
made a phone call to his native land where his countrymen and women
had gathered in Buenos Aires' Plaza de Mayo. Surprising everyone with
the call, live over the phone, he left them with a message: “Do not
be afraid.” They were the same words spoken by one of his
predecessors in 1978, the Polish Pope Karol Wojtyla, Blessed John
Paul II.

This
is the first time that Pope Francis has taken the Popemobile through
the square and the people wanted to see him better, closer... The new
Pope moved through them and then went back around again in what was,
perhaps, the longest trip that a Roman pontiff has ever made around
the square. He travelled over the ground that, twenty-one centuries
earlier, had been occupied by the Circus of Nero. The ground where
modern investigators have confirmed the tradition of the site of St.
Peter's martyrdom: Peter the fisherman, the first Pope of the
Catholic Church, whose remains are still conserved in the same place.
Of that ancient vista perhaps the only thing that remains is the
great obelisk, brought to Rome from Heliopolis by order of the
emperor Caligula. It is the same obelisk that hundreds of workers
have been toiling around all night to prepare for the historic event.

Today,
twenty-one centuries later, there are other witnesses and the
spectacle is different but the protagonist is again a “common man”.
Jorge Mario Bergoglio, S.J., Argentine, 76 years-old, a chemical
technician. His followers may number over 1,165,714,000: the number
of Catholics in the world, which is, approximately, one out of every
six. In the “bleachers” this time are men and women who have come
from over 132 countries around the world. They have come “because
they wanted to”, as the Holy See emphasized: “There were no
'invitations' sent out. All who wish to come are warmly welcomed. It
must be made clear that no one has privileged status or will be
refused.” And so they have come: six sovereigns, three crown
princes, 31 heads of state, 11 heads of government... more than 250
Catholic bishops and 1200 priests and seminarians... But those
numbers do not count the men, women, youth, elderly, those of every
type, faith, language, culture, class, status, and opinion who also
came.

On
the terrace of the Charlemagne Wing (the left-hand side colonnade of
the square, if you are facing the Basilica) were positioned the
cameras of some of the nearly 6000 journalists covering the event.
Some of them saw the dawn; others were even there at 4:00am. For many
of them, this will be their final event to cover after following
developments day-by-day, including the almost-daily press conferences
held by Fr. Federico Lombardi, director of the Holy See Press Office,
who yesterday was presented with a plaque and press pass by the
Italian Agency for the Associated Press as a thank you on behalf of
all the journalists.

But
the ceremony begins. Within the Basilica, the Holy Father Francis
venerates St. Peter at his tomb. At this important moment he chose to
be accompanied by the ten Patriarchs and Major Archbishops of the
Eastern Rite Catholic Churches who were in attendance. Why? Perhaps
to demonstrate the universality of the Catholic Church with its two
rites, Oriental and Latin, that are equal in essence and dignity.
From the Confession, the tomb of St. Peter, the Pope reascended to
the main floor of the Basilica, following the Book of the Gospels,
the papal pallium, and the new Fisherman’s Ring.

Outside
in the square, ecclesiastics who are not concelebrating have been
seated to the left of the altar (always if you are facing the
Basilica) and, to the right, political and civil authorities. Beauty
is present in the splendour of the chants intoned by the Sistine
Chapel Choir and the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music. The first
Gregorian chant is the “Laudes Regiae” (Christ is King). At the
Offertory during the Mass a motet composed by Pierluigi da Palestrina
precisely for the Inauguration of the Pontificate will be sung: “Tu
es pastor ovium” (You Are the Shepherd of the Sheep). At the
conclusion of the Mass will come the “Te Deum” with verses
alternating between Gregorian chant and a melody by Tomas Luisde
Victoria.

There
are three important moments of the ceremony inaugurating the new
pontiff's Petrine ministry before the Mass begins. The first is the
imposition of the pallium made from lamb's wool. Cardinal
proto-deacon Jean-Louis Tauran, the one who made the “habemus
Papam” announcement from the Basilica’s loggia last Wednesday,
today will place the pallium on the Holy Father's shoulders. It
represents the “lost, sick, or weak sheep which the shepherd places
on his shoulders and carries to the waters of life”.

Then
the Dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, will
bestow the Fisherman's Ring on Francis. It bears the image of Peter
holding the keys and is made of gold-plated silver. It was designed
by the Italian artist Enrico Manfrini for Pope Paul VI but was never
cast in metal. Its wax cast was conserved by Paul VI's personal
secretary Archbishop Pasquale Macchi and, on his death, by Archbishop
Macchi's colleague Msgr. Ettore Malnati who had it cast and proposed
it, through Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, as one of the choices for
the new Roman Pontiff.

Thirdly,
six cardinals, two from each of the Orders, will make a symbolic act
of obedience on behalf of all the other cardinals. This act of
obedience was already made, by the Cardinal electors at the end of
the Conclave and by the rest of the College of Cardinals when they
met with him the next day. The people of God will be represented in
the act of obedience made by the faithful who are present when the
Pope takes possession of the Cathedral of Rome—St. John Lateran—in
the next few days.

Now
the Mass begins. It is the Mass for the Solemnity of St. Joseph,
Patron of the Universal Church. Concelebrating are all the cardinals
present in Rome, joined by six Patriarchs and Major Eastern Rite
Archbishops; the Secretary of the College of Cardinals; Fr. Jose
Rodriguez Carballo, O.F.M., superior general of the Order of Friars
Minor; and Fr. Adolfo Nicolas Pachon, S.J., superior general of the
Society of Jesus. In total they will be around 180 concelebrating
with Pope Francis.

The
Gospel, the culminating moment of the Liturgy of the Word is
proclaimed in Greek, in deference to the Eastern Rite. Afterwards,
Pope Francis gives his homily in Italian. The square is silent and
the Holy Father is calm. “It seems like he has always been Pope,”
someone remarks as soon as they hear his first words. The text was
given to journalists beforehand with the warning, “Be attentive!
This Pope loves to improvise!” But in this moment he stuck with the
prepared text.

The
Pope speaks of St. Joseph, the example he gives us, of his vocation,
his fidelity, his availability, of how he knew how to listen to God,
of how he was attentive to everything going on around him. This is
the preamble of his homily, then he arrives at its heart, connecting
St. Joseph's vocation to that of us all, each of us, and to the
Pope's own vocation as well. He concludes with a resounding entreaty:
our responsibility to protect with tenderness, to not destroy what we
have received. From creation to ourselves and those around us, and
especially the poorest. “We must not be afraid of goodness or even
tenderness!” Pope Francis exhorted. We are all called “so that
the star of hope will shine brightly. Let us protect with love all
that God has given us!” So ended the homily of the new Bishop of
Rome, the homily of the Mass inaugurating his pontificate.

In
the square a young man says of the quiet: “We were silent but a
seething volcano is within us.” He was one of the many young
Italians who have come with their children, some of which are just
babies. Beside him is a group from Lebanon who remember John Paul II
and Benedict XVI's trips to their land. “Francis will come too.
We're sure of it!”

At
the end, after the Mass, the Pope went to pray before the statue of
the Virgin that stood next to the altar. Then, amidst the crowd's
cries of “Francesco, Francesco, Francesco”, the Gregorian chant,
and the thundering bells of St. Peter's, the new Holy Father returned
to the Basilica. After removing his liturgical vestments, he went to
the Altar of Confession, standing in front of which he received the
greetings of the diplomatic representatives of the 132 countries and
various organizations that had attended the Mass.

In
the next few days, Pope Francis will have to figure out how to answer
the millions of email messages that have already been received,
despite the fact that he still doesn't have an official address.

Vatican
City, 19 March 2013
(VIS) – Following is the complete text of the homily that Pope
Francis gave during the Mass inaugurating his Petrine ministry.
Beginning with the image of St. Joseph, the “protector”, the Pope
stressed that the vocation to protect creation and humanity concerns
everyone. He urged all to not be afraid of goodness or even of
tenderness.

“Dear
Brothers and Sisters, I thank the Lord that I can celebrate this Holy
Mass for the inauguration of my Petrine ministry on the solemnity of
Saint Joseph, the spouse of the Virgin Mary and the patron of the
universal Church. It is a significant coincidence, and it is also the
name-day of my venerable predecessor: we are close to him with our
prayers, full of affection and gratitude.”

“I
offer a warm greeting to my brother cardinals and bishops, the
priests, deacons, men and women religious, and all the lay faithful.
I thank the representatives of the other Churches and Ecclesial
Communities, as well as the representatives of the Jewish community
and the other religious communities, for their presence. My cordial
greetings go to the Heads of State and Government, the members of the
official Delegations from many countries throughout the world, and
the Diplomatic Corps.”

“In
the Gospel we heard that 'Joseph did as the angel of the Lord
commanded him and took Mary as his wife' (Mt 1:24). These words
already point to the mission that God entrusts to Joseph: he is to be
the 'custos', the protector. The protector of whom? Of Mary and
Jesus; but this protection is then extended to the Church, as Blessed
John Paul II pointed out: 'Just as Saint Joseph took loving care of
Mary and gladly dedicated himself to Jesus Christ’s upbringing, he
likewise watches over and protects Christ’s Mystical Body, the
Church, of which the Virgin Mary is the exemplar and model'
(Redemptoris Custos, 1).”

“How
does Joseph exercise his role as protector? Discreetly, humbly, and
silently, but with an unfailing presence and utter fidelity, even
when he finds it hard to understand. From the time of his betrothal
to Mary until the finding of the twelve-year-old Jesus in the Temple
of Jerusalem, he is there at every moment with loving care. As the
spouse of Mary, he is at her side in good times and bad, on the
journey to Bethlehem for the census and in the anxious and joyful
hours when she gave birth; amid the drama of the flight into Egypt
and during the frantic search for their child in the Temple; and
later in the day-to-day life of the home of Nazareth, in the workshop
where he taught his trade to Jesus.”

“How
does Joseph respond to his calling to be the protector of Mary, Jesus
and the Church? By being constantly attentive to God, open to the
signs of God’s presence and receptive to God’s plans and not
simply to his own. This is what God asked of David, as we heard in
the first reading. God does not want a house built by humans, but
faithfulness to his word, to his plan. It is God himself who builds
the house, but from living stones sealed by his Spirit. Joseph is a
“protector” because he is able to hear God’s voice and be
guided by his will; and for this reason he is all the more sensitive
to the persons entrusted to his safekeeping. He can look at things
realistically, he is in touch with his surroundings, he can make
truly wise decisions. In him, dear friends, we learn how to respond
to God’s call, readily and willingly, but we also see the heart of
the Christian vocation, which is Christ! Let us protect Christ in our
lives, so that we can protect others, so that we can protect
creation!”

“The
vocation of being a 'protector', however, is not just something
involving us Christians alone; it also has a prior dimension which is
simply human, involving everyone. It means protecting all creation,
the beauty of the created world, as the Book of Genesis tells us and
as Saint Francis of Assisi showed us. It means respecting each of
God’s creatures and respecting the environment in which we live. It
means protecting people, showing loving concern for each and every
person, especially children, the elderly, those in need, who are
often the last we think about. It means caring for one another in our
families: husbands and wives first protect one another, and then, as
parents, they care for their children, and children themselves, in
time, protect their parents. It means building sincere friendships in
which we protect one another in trust, respect, and goodness. In the
end, everything has been entrusted to our protection, and all of us
are responsible for it. Be protectors of God’s gifts!”

“Whenever
human beings fail to live up to this responsibility, whenever we fail
to care for creation and for our brothers and sisters, the way is
opened to destruction and our hearts are hardened. Tragically, in
every period of history there are 'Herods' who plot death, wreak
havoc, and mar the countenance of men and women.”

“Please,
I would like to ask all those who have positions of responsibility in
economic, political, and social life, and all men and women of
goodwill: let us be 'protectors' of creation, protectors of God’s
plan inscribed in nature, protectors of one another and of the
environment. Let us not allow omens of destruction and death to
accompany our world's journey! But to be 'protectors', we also have
to keep watch over ourselves! Let us not forget that hatred, envy,
and pride defile our lives! Being protectors, then, also means
keeping watch over our emotions, over our hearts, because they are
the seat of good and evil intentions: intentions that build up or
tear down! We must not be afraid of goodness or even tenderness!”

“Here I would add one more thing:
caring, protecting, demands goodness; it calls for a certain
tenderness. In the Gospels, Saint Joseph appears as a strong and
courageous man, a working man, yet in his heart we see great
tenderness, which is not the virtue of the weak but rather a sign of
strength of spirit and a capacity for concern, for compassion, for
genuine openness to others, for love. We must not be afraid of
goodness, of tenderness!”

“Today,
together with the feast of Saint Joseph, we are celebrating the
beginning of the ministry of the new Bishop of Rome, the Successor of
Peter, which also involves a certain power. Certainly, Jesus Christ
conferred power upon Peter, but what sort of power was it? Jesus’
three questions to Peter about love are followed by three commands:
feed my lambs, feed my sheep. Let us never forget that authentic
power is service, and that the Pope too, when exercising power, must
enter ever more fully into that service which has its radiant
culmination on the Cross. He must be inspired by the lowly, concrete,
and faithful service which marked Saint Joseph and, like him, he must
open his arms to protect all of God’s people and embrace with
tender affection the whole of humanity, especially the poorest, the
weakest, the least important, those whom Matthew lists in the final
judgement on love: the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked,
the sick, and those in prison (cf. Mt 25:31-46). Only those who serve
with love are able to protect!”

“In
the second reading, Saint Paul speaks of Abraham, who, 'hoping
against hope, believed' (Rom 4:18). Hoping against hope! Today too,
amid so much darkness, we need to see the light of hope and to be men
and women who bring hope to others. To protect creation, to protect
every man and every woman, to look upon them with tenderness and
love, is to open up a horizon of hope; it is to let a shaft of light
break through the heavy clouds; it is to bring the warmth of hope!
For believers, for us Christians, like Abraham, like Saint Joseph,
the hope that we bring is set against the horizon of God that has
opened up before us in Christ. It is a hope built on the rock that is
God.”

“To
protect Jesus with Mary, to protect the whole of creation, to protect
each person, especially the poorest, to protect ourselves: this is a
service that the Bishop of Rome is called to carry out, yet one to
which all of us are called, so that the star of hope will shine
brightly. Let us protect with love all that God has given us!”

“I
implore the intercession of the Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph, Saints
Peter and Paul, and Saint Francis, that the Holy Spirit may accompany
my ministry, and I ask all of you to pray for me! Amen.”

Vatican
City, 19 March 2013
(VIS) – The thousands of people who spent a sleepless night in the
main square of Buenos Aires, Plaza de Mayo, to watch the Mass
inaugurating former Archbishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio's Petrine
ministry had a pleasant surprise. At 7:32am Rome time—that is,
3:32am in Argentina—the speakers placed outside the cathedral in
the square began to carry the voice of Pope Francis. He was calling,
from the Vatican, to greet them.

As
reported by the Argentine newspaper, Clarin, the Pope had called the
cell phone of one of his aides, Fr. Alejandro Russo, rector of the
cathedral. From the archdiocesan television centre they were then
able to connect the call to Plaza de Mayo, so that the pontiff might
say hello to his parishioners. Shortly afterwards, the rector
announced that he had a special surprise and those gathered began to
hear Francis' voice. “Dear sons and daughters, I know you have
gathered in the square. I know that you are saying prayers, I need
them very much. It is beautiful to pray because we look to heaven and
know that we have a good Father who is God.”

A
huge wave of applause greeted the Pope's words and he continued: “I
want to ask a favour of you. I want to ask for us to walk together,
to care for one another, for you to care for each other. Do not cause
harm. Protect life. Protect the family; protect nature; protect the
young; protect the elderly. Let there not be hatred or fighting. Put
aside envy.” And, in the city's slang, he added: “No le saquen el
cuero a nadie [literally, “don't flay or skin anyone alive”, that
is, don't gossip, don't criticize one another]. Talk with one another
so that this desire to protect each other might grow in your hearts.
And draw near to God. God is good. He always forgives and
understands. Do not be afraid of him. Draw near to him and may the
Virgin bless you. May she, as a mother, protect you. Please do not
forget this bishop who is far away but who loves you very much. Pray
for me!”

“Through
the intercession of Mary, ever Virgin, and each of your guardian
angels, the glorious patriarch St. Joseph, St. Therese of the Child
Jesus, and each of your protector saints, may God All-mighty, Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit, bless you,” Francis concluded, imparting the
papal blessing to all present before closing the connection.

Vatican
City, 19 March 2013
(VIS) – This is the history of the Fisherman’s Ring that,
beginning today, Pope Francis will wear on the ring finger of his
right hand.

Archbishop
Pasquale Macchi, the personal secretary of Pope Paul VI, kept the wax
cast of the ring that had been designed for Paul VI by the Italian
artist Enrico Manfrini. (He also made several medals and other
artistic objects for Paul VI.) The ring depicts St. Peter holding the
keys. It was never cast into metal therefore Paul VI never wore it.
Instead, he always wore the ring that was commissioned at the time of
the Second Vatican Council.

When
he passed away in 2006, the cast, along with other objects, was left
by Archbishop Macchi to Monsignor Ettore Malnati, who had worked
closely with him for many years. Msgr. Malnati made a ring of
gold-plated silver from the wax cast. This ring was offered to Pope
Francis, along with several other possible options, by the Papal
Master of Ceremonies, through the auspices of Cardinal Re. Pope
Francis chose it for his Ring of the Fisherman and it was bestowed
upon him at this morning's Mass of the Inauguration of his Petrine
Ministry.